Riding-saddle.



No. 633,236. Patented Sept. l9," I899.

M. A.-EATMAN. RIDING SADDLE.

(Application filed May 21, 1898.)

{No Model.)

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

MIOHAEL'ANGELO EATMAN, OF ITTABENA, MISSISSIPPI.

RIDING-SADDLE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 633,236, dated September 19, 1899.

Application filed May 21, 1898. Serial No. 681,377.. (No model.)

To all whom it; may concern.-

Be it known that I, MIOHAEL ANGELO EAT- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ittabena, in the county of Leflore andState of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Saddle, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in saddles.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of saddles and to overcome much of thejolting and roughness of mule and horseback riding and increase the ease, comfort, pleasure, and benefit of the same and to providea saddle having a cushion or yieldingly-mounted seat and to pro= vide means for regulating the spring of the same.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a saddle constructed in accordance with this invention, the covering being removed to illustrate more clearly the construction. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a saddle composed of an upper seat portion 2 and a lower tree portion 3, connected with the upper portion yieldingly, as hereinafter described, and the said upper portion or seat, which has the general configuration of an ordinary saddle and which may be constructed of any desired shape, presents oppositely-inclined inner faces and carries the pommel or horn at and the cantle 5. The lower or tree portion 3 is composed of two inclined side bars, as shown, and these bars, which may be constructed of any suitable material, are connected by diverging arms 6 and 7 of front and rear posts 8 and 9, which are tubular to receive stems 10 and 11 of the upper or seat portion. The depending stems 10 and 11 telescope in the tubular posts 8 and 9, and the vertical movement of the upper portion of the saddle is limited by vertical slots 12 and 13 of the front and rear posts 8 and 9, and lugs or projections 15 and 16, mounted on the depending stems and arranged in said slots. at its upper end in the pommel or horn of the saddlev and the rear stem is provided at its upper end with arms 17 and 18, secured to the front and rear faces of the cantle 5; but

The front depending stem is secured instead of arranging the arms 17 and 18 in the manner shown they may be disposed horizontally when they are applied to a ladys saddle.

The upper portion of the saddle is cushioned by front and rear springs 19 and 20 and side springs 21, arranged in a longitudinal series at each side of the saddle. The front and rear springs, which may be of any desired strength, are preferablyarranged on the posts and the stems, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings; but they can be mounted adjacent to the posts or stems, if desired, and instead of employing a single heavy spring when great strength is desired a pair of spiral springs, arranged one within the other, may be employed. The side springs, which are secured to the upper and lower portions of the saddle in any. suitable manner, have their ends arranged in upper and lower recesses 22 and 23, forming semisockets. The lowersockets orrecesses, which are formed in the inclined faces of the side bars of the tree, present horizontal bottom faces to the lower ends of the springs.

In order to regulate the tension of the springs and prevent the upper portion of the saddle from springing upward too far, the latter is connected with the lower or tree portion by adjustable devices, each comprising a chain 24 and a catch 25, the chain being composed of a series of straight links located at the sides of the chain and connected by transverse pintle-rods 26, arranged parallel with each other and adapted to be engaged by the catch 25. The catch 25 consists of a hook 27 and a resilient tongue 28, extending across the mouth of the hook and adapted to preventthe lower end of the chain from becoming accidentally disconnected from the lower portion of the saddle. The engaging portion of the hook is inverted, and the resilient tongue, which is arranged beneath the same, extends outward beyond the hook and is adapted to be readily depressed by the fin: ger of the operator when it is desired to adjust the parts. Instead, however, of employing the catch and the chain for connecting the upper and lower portions of the saddle a strap and buckle can be used, if desired.

The space between the upper and lower portions of the saddle is covered, as shown at 29, by a strip of leather or other suitable material, spaces or openings being provided adjacent to the catches or fastening devices to enable the same to be readily operated. The strip 29 conceals the springs and is provided with an elastic band 30, arranged at its inner face and adapted to prevent it from bulging outward when the upper portion of the saddle is depressed.

The stirrup-straps will be connected with the upper portion of the saddle and the girth with the lower portion or tree, and the adjustable connections at the sides of the saddle will prevent the upper portion from tipping over when it is subjected to strain inci dent to mounting and dismounting. The ends of the saddle are also provided with connections 31 and 32, constructed similar to those heretofore described and assisting in supporting the part-s.

The invention has the following advantages: The saddle, which is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, is provided with a spring-supported or cushioned seat, and is thereby adapted to avoid much of the jolting and roughness incident to riding, and it greatly contributes to the ease and pleasure of the rider. As the spring of the front post of the saddle is designed to be of much greater strength than that of the rear post, it will operate to retain the saddle in proper position and prevent the front portion from inclining downward, and the rider will not be thrown forward upon the horn or pommel by such sagging of the front portion of the saddle.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

\Vhat I claim is A saddle comprising a lower tree portion presenting oppositely-inclined outer faces, the upper seat portion having oppositely-inclined inner faces, hollow posts mounted on the tree portion and provided at their lower ends with arms secured to the said tree portion, stems depending from the seat portion and telescoping into the hollow posts, coiled springs disposed on the stems and posts and interposed between the seat and tree portions of the saddle, the side springs arranged in a longitudinal series at each side of the saddle and having their terminals connected to the opposite inclined portions of the same, and means for limiting the upward movement of the seat port-ion of the saddle, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL ANGELO EATMAN.

Witnesses:

G. W. E. BENNETT, W. D. I'IOLSELL. 

